Shoes
by Asj Johnson
Summary: Mozenrath inadvertently shatters the magical Shoes of Milouwen, causing an unwanted side effect. He just wished he could win, the way Aladdin always did.
1. Prologue

All characters belong to Disney (besides random bg characters). Places also belong to Disney.

(Sorry about a somewhat boring beginning. This is more of an introductory and leading up to chapter.)

* * *

Prologue

"Ah, the Shoes of Milouwen... Yes..."

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged woman with a rough voice and a missing front tooth. Her clothing was simple, and she wore a purse with an image of a scorpion. The shop was dusty and little visited. Rolls of fabric rested in the corners and any other space available; however, her specialty was rare and magical items.

Pulling a box from the cabinet, she blew off a layer of dust before handing it to the man who had asked about it.

The young man opened the box to reveal two red jewels secured within, each about an inch and a half long and cut to resemble shoes. He picked one up, and had a barely noticeable smile on his face as held it to the light. Each face of the multi-faceted jewel shown as it caught the light, no scratch marring the surfaces. "I thought they would be bigger," he commented without looking away.

The shopkeeper shook a finger at him. "The size is not important! They are very powerful. - And very _expensive_!" She plucked the jewel from his fingers and took the box back, hugging it protectively against her chest.

"Oh, I'm sure they are," he said, smirking at the hunched shopkeeper. A pouch of money was pulled from an inner pocket of his cape and tossed to her.

She caught it with one hand and tested the weight with her palm. Despite the size of the bag, she said, "This is not enough. The Shoes are worth much more than this."

The young man frowned, eyeing the woman for a moment before offering her a second bag of money.

"This is enough for the box and one Shoe. I keep the other one."

The man's face contorted in anger. He let out a growl of frustration and shot a bluish flame of magic from his gloved hand. It singed the wall over the surprised shopkeeper's shoulder. "Enough of this! You _will_ give me the Shoes of Milouwen!"

* * *

Iago created a rectangle shape with his wings. Closing one eye, he looked through the rectangle and toward a certain marketplace stand.

Behind him, Abu chattered loudly, shaking his fists at the parrot.

"What? It's a delicate operation," Iago said. "You had your chance, monkey, and you blew it!"

Abu crossed his arms and pouted. After a moment, he picked up one of the bananas he had opted to steal instead.

The two sat on a rooftop opposite the small jewelry stand Iago was spying on. The sounds of the marketplace could be heard from below: merchants advertising their goods, the murmur of conversation, the jingle of coins being exchanged. Somewhere in the distance, an angry salesperson could be heard yelling, "You will be sorry you didn't pay full price!"

Iago saw someone approach the jewelry stand, and, knowing this was his opportunity, took flight.

"It's for my wife," the customer said, pointing to one of the bracelets lying on the counter.

The vender smiled and nodded, making up some story about the item. He had his back to some of the more costly jewels.

Slowly, Iago reached a foot out to grab an expensive-looking gold necklace, being careful not to make any sound. It was at that moment the tall, blue-clad figure rushed past. Iago let out a yell as he was knocked to the ground. When he looked up, he saw the man vanish with a motion of his hand.

Abu jumped down to where Iago was still laying. Thankfully, the vender didn't notice the attempted theft.

"Tell me I'm not going crazy. _You_ saw Mozenrath running through the marketplace carrying a spooky-looking box, didn't you?" Iago asked.

Abu nodded and pointed toward the direction the young man was running, saying, "Uh-huh, uh-huh."

Iago paced in front of Abu. "What are we gonna do? Whatever's in that box is sure to be trouble."

"Aladdin," Abu said with a nod and started to run off.

"Hold it, Monkey," Iago said and grabbed Abu's tail. "If we tell Al, we'll get dragged into going to that creepy citadel again." He leaned in close, putting a wing over Abu's shoulder. "_But_, if we don't say anything, we can stay here with the _jewels_."

Abu glared at Iago, and chattered at him.

"Okay, okay. You're right. If Mozenrath's latest plan actually works and he takes over Agrabah, there might not _be_ any jewels to steal. - But I don't see what banana parfaits have to do with anything."

* * *

Despite the walls within the Land of the Black Sand's citadel being light blue, inadequate lighting and few windows created a dim atmosphere. Even during a sunny day such as this, Mozenrath needed to rely on lit torches on the walls of the room for light.

The young sorcerer held up an unrolled scroll with one hand. There was an illustration of the jeweled shoes of Milouwen painted on the scroll, along with some writing. Mozenrath had one of the small shoes in his other hand. "This is it!" Mozenrath exclaimed. "That old hag had the real thing."

"Shoes work?" Xerxes asked, floating closer to get a look at the jewel in Mozenrath's hand.

"We'll find out tomorrow, Xerxes," Mozenrath said and stroked the eel. His smirk darkened as he added, "And so will our victims."

Beside him, the eel repeated, "Victims find out," and laughed.

"It won't be long now... The Seven deserts _will be _mi-" A loud banging came from beyond the locked door and Mozenrath grimaced at the noise. The muffled voices of the undead could be heard from the other side. "What is with their incessant moaning?! Can't they tell I'm busy?!" he demanded. "Xerxes! Find out what they want!"

As Mozenrath resumed his planning, Xerxes flew over to the door. With a struggle, he pushed the crossbar to the side, and then flew over to pull the door open with his tail. He looked out into the hallway. "Mamluks loud. Mozenrath busy! What want?" Xerxes glared at them, waiting.

The mamluks went silent. After a few seconds, one of them pointed up.

Above the group of mamluks was Aladdin and his friends on Carpet.

"Aladdin!" Xerxes said.

Mozenrath's eyes widened and he swung around to look. Aladdin was swooping into the room even as Xerxes and the mamluks tried to re-close the door. "You fools! You led him right to me!" Some of the mamluks started sneaking away, while others covered their heads with their arms and made pleading noises. When Mozenrath blasted at them, they cleared the doorway.

"Okay..." Mozenrath said, taking a deep breath. Putting on a smile, he looked at Aladdin. "No problem. I was _going_ to surprise you tomorrow morning, Aladdin, but since you're here _now_, I'll just push up my plans."

"What did you take from the marketplace, Mozenrath?" Aladdin demanded and glared at him.

Mozenrath widened his eyes in fake surprise. "Oh, you mean _these_?" he asked and opened his right hand to reveal the Shoes. "It was only a little shoe shopping." The false pleasantness left his voice as he added, "You really should try it sometime."

Iago leaned over Carpet for a better look. "I see _jewels_."

Abu moved to look over Aladdin's shoulder, making a sound of awe.

"Ruby slippers?!" Genie asked.

"Genie, wait-" Genie disappeared in a puff of smoke.

He reappeared next to Mozenrath. "Remember, you have to put them on to be able to use them," he said and, with a zap from his finger, poofed Mozenrath into a dress and a wig of braided pigtails. "You'll be back in Kansas with three clicks of your heels," he said cheerfully.

Mozenrath ripped off the disguise. "Bad move, genie," he said and wagged a finger at him.

"Bad move," Xerxes repeated with a dark smile, flying around Mozenrath to land on his shoulder.

The sorcerer powered up his gauntlet, letting his magic envelope the jewels in that hand. They started glowing bright red, and before Genie could get away, a red beam shot out from the jewels and surrounded him.

"Genie!" Aladdin yelled, jumping off Carpet and running toward his friend. Just as he reached him, the red light retreated and re-entered the Shoes. However, the Shoes kept an inner glow instead of returning to normal. Aladdin looked at Genie in confusion. "Nothing happened?"

Genie looked himself over and didn't see anything unusual. "I'm okay!" he announced with a thumbs up. He turned around, pushing up his arms as though rolling up sleeves. "Now, to take care of _you, _Evil Wizard Boy!" Holding his hands out in front of him, Genie got ready to zap Mozenrath.

Mozenrath started to back up. However, only a little spark came from the genie's fingers, then nothing. Mozenrath smirked.

"Huh? Why isn't it working?" Genie whined, looking at his fingers.

"It's the power of the Shoes of Milouwen," Mozenrath said.

"...Uh-oh." Genie backed away. "Al, run!" he picked up Aladdin and turned, running toward the exit.

"Genie, what is it?" Aladdin asked. Carpet followed, Iago and Abu still riding on him.

Red magic surrounded the door in front of them, causing it to shut and the lock to slide back into place.

"Nowhere to run, Aladdin," Mozenrath said, and shot toward him.

Aladdin and Genie dove behind a large chest, but the shot knocked Abu off carpet. The magic transformed into a metal shackle, locking him in place where he'd hit the wall.

"Abu!" Aladdin said. He was instantly at Abu's side trying to pry the cuff off, but it wouldn't budge. Genie pulled Aladdin away before a blast could hit him. "Genie, do something!"

"I can't!" Genie moaned in distress. "It's those jewels, Al. They took my magic!" He pointed toward the jewels in Mozenrath's hand. "With those, he can change powers like pairs of shoes."

"Oh, I'm _so_ glad you explained why they're shaped like shoes. That was going to bug me the whole time we're _running for our lives_," Iago said.

Aladdin gave Genie a worried expression.

"You're just the start! I will render my magical foes powerless, and then use their _own_ powers against them!" the sorcerer said and laughed.

"This is bad," Iago said. "This is very bad." Iago jumped up and grabbed the collar of Aladdin's vest, yelling, "He's going to kill us!"

Aladdin watched as Mozenrath shot toward the chest they were hiding behind, surrounding it in red light and lifting it into the air. "It's the Shoes!" Aladdin said as they ran for more cover.

"What gave you _that_ idea, genius?" Iago said with a roll of his eyes.

"Without them, he can't use Genie's magic!" They hid behind a table. "Iago, do you think you can get them away from him?"

"Are you crazy?!" he squawked.

"So you _don't_ want those nice _rubies_?" Genie said with a smug grin. "Those ones probably worth lots of _money_?"

Iago opened his beak. He glanced toward Mozenrath, then Genie, then at the jeweled shoes, then back at Genie. He pulled at the feathers covering his head, knowing he would regret this. "Okay fine. But you owe me, Blue Boy."

Mozenrath shot toward them again, the beam turning into a large jackal.

Globes and books scattered across the floor as the animal overturned their makeshift barricade. Aladdin jumped on Carpet, but the jackal cornered Genie before he could get away. "Don't worry, Genie!" Aladdin called.

"I'll try not to," Genie said nervously, staring into the eyes of the growling jackal.

Mozenrath fired toward Aladdin and Carpet, the red beam of light turning into a serpent-like dragon. His laughter echoed throughout the room as the dragon gave chase.

Iago snuck out from behind one of the globes that had been knocked from the table, and started flying toward the sorcerer now that he was distracted. "The things I do for material wealth," he said to himself.

Trying to outrun the dragon, Carpet circled higher as Mozenrath watched from below. With a quick turn, Carpet managed to get the dragon to tie himself in a knot.

"Hold still!" Mozenrath said in frustration, firing a continuous stream of light toward them now that his dragon was out of commission.

Xerxes glared up at Aladdin from Mozenrath's shoulder, but then saw something out of the corner of his eye. "Master tricked!"

Mozenrath lost concentration on the beam and Iago snatched the jewels from his hand before he knew what was happening.

Carpet was finally able to stop evading attacks and moved a tassel as though wiping sweat from his brow.

Iago hovered in the air above Mozenrath. "I get to keep these, right?" Iago asked Aladdin. Mozenrath's gauntlet lit up with its usual bluish glow. "Never mind! Take them!" Iago yelled and tossed the Shoes toward Carpet.

Standing on top of Carpet, Aladdin caught them easily. A glance toward Genie told him his friend was still running from the jackal. "Genie, I got them! Now what?"

Mozenrath shot a blue flame at Aladdin, knocking him off Carpet, and inadvertently making him let go of the Shoes. Ignoring the Shoes, Carpet dived after Aladdin, catching him before he could hit the floor.

"The jewels!" Iago yelled.

"My Shoes!" Mozenrath knocked Iago out of the way during the race for the falling Shoes. Before he could reach them, they hit the floor and shattered. "No!" he yelled.

The jackal vanished with a spark, as well as the dragon, and the cuff restraining Abu. Genie cheered about getting his magic back, and transformed into several things to celebrate.

Mozenrath fell to his knees, pushing his hands into the jewel dust around him, but finding nothing to salvage.

"Heh. That was almost _too_ easy, Mozenrath," Aladdin said with a smirk, his hands on his hips. "C'mon, guys, let's go." Aladdin crouched into a better position as carpet swooped around the room to gather up Abu and Iago.

"You will pay for this, Aladdin!" Mozenrath shouted as the group made their exit. "You will pay!"

Xerxes flew up to the high window Aladdin had just flown through. "Hero will pay!" Xerxes yelled after him.

Mozenrath lifted a handful of the red dust, staring at it in his opened palm. He watched as it began to fall between his fingers. "It's not fair," he said sadly. He ground his teeth. His fist closed tightly around the dust in his hand, and he flung it away in anger. "It's not fair! Aladdin always has things so easy! It should be me!"

Mozenrath's expression changed suddenly, as though he had just noticed something. His voice suddenly quiet, he said, "Xerxes... I..." The room started to tilt.

Xerxes turned from the window in time to see Mozenrath collapse onto the floor. Xerxes sped to his side, but he seemed to be unconscious. "Master?!" Xerxes flew around to butt against his arm. "Master okay?!" Xerxes continued to flit back and forth, not sure what to do.

* * *

/Author's Note/

Figured I'd try getting this good enough to put up by Christmas. For those who celebrate (or celebrate other holidays), did you have a good holiday?

The rest of the fic will probably have a bit of a different feel to it. Hopefully the beginning here isn't boring enough to turn away potential readers (or, on the other hand, get hopes up for a story which won't have this much physical action in every chapter). I was hoping to come up with a better title than 'Shoes' but haven't yet. Maybe I'll think of something more fitting later.

Anyone have any ideas about what might happen next (what's happened to Mozenrath)? Any thoughts would be welcome - I'd like to know what possibilities people can come up with, even vague, undefined ones.


	2. Chapter 1: Nonrefundable

Chapter One: Nonrefundable

Mozenrath rolled over and pressed his face farther into the pillow, trying to block the light shining through his eyelids. It was odd really. Not many rooms within the citadel would let in this much sunlight. The windows were small and few. It was designed as a stronghold to keep things within, away from invaders. Large windows and balconies would be a vulnerability. He opened his eyes.

This wasn't his citadel.

He sat up. The walls were tinted blue, with red and gold trim, and furniture and pillows decorated the room. A large window was on his right, and a door on his left. How did he get here? The style of the room reminded him of Agrabah's palace. Did Aladdin bring him here? Mozenrath dismissed that thought. He _knew_ Aladdin, and, though he was generally a good person, he wouldn't be stupid enough to leave his enemy unchained and unguarded. How he could have gotten here without Aladdin's knowledge, though, he didn't know. Whatever the case may be, it was best he not remain in the bed. Mozenrath moved to take off the covers, and noticed his right hand. "My gauntlet!"

He frantically started rummaging through the covers for the missing glove. Every so often, his eyes flashed up to look elsewhere in the room. The pointless search went on until the image of his hand filtered back through his mind. He stilled. The cover he was holding slipped from his fingers. Widening his eyes, he turned back to his hand. "What?" he said in surprise. Fingers fumbled with the dark blue sleeve, pulling it up past his elbow.

The arm was whole, and matched his other one - which, at the back of his mind, he noticed wasn't quite as pale as he remembered. "How is this possible?" It didn't make sense. Nothing could give him back his right arm. He wiggled his fingers, and turned his hand over a couple times. He checked the arm from every angle he could. He couldn't see anything wrong with it. He touched it. The skin felt real, and it was warm. And, it could feel. Realizing this, he touched the cover with his right hand, and rubbed the fabric between his fingers. He did the same with the fabric of the shirt he was wearing, and with the unfamiliar jacket he woke up in. Wanting something else to touch, he reached up and twirled a lock of hair between his fingers.

"Aladdin? Are you in here?"

Suddenly recalling where he was, Mozenrath glanced toward the closed door. "No, not the princess," he moaned. "I can't let them find me without my gauntlet!" He rushed behind the long curtains, and focused on taking silent breaths as he heard the door open. Her footsteps padded lightly around the room, and Mozenrath could tell she didn't know an evil sorcerer had been in that bed moments earlier. If he waited until she left, maybe he could search for his gauntlet, and possibly get back to his citadel before being discovered.

He held his breath as she passed close to his hiding place. His fingers twitched. If he took her hostage, he could use her as a bargaining chip to get his gauntlet without any real effort on his part. Of course Aladdin would give up the gauntlet in exchange for his precious princess. Wait! What was he _thinking_?! He can't do that! He's completely powerless without the-

The curtain jerked away and his heart skipped a beat. The princess was right in front of him, holding the curtain in her hand. If she weren't in the way, he would've made a run for it. Instead, he tried to step deeper into the curtains.

"There you are, Aladdin." It was then that he realized she was smiling. "What are you doing behind the curtain?"

His eyes drifted to look over his shoulder. Aladdin wasn't there. "I'm not Aladdin," he said with a shake of his head, unsure of whether he was addressing the princess or his own train of thought.

"What?"

He should have realized it earlier. Waking up in Aladdin's palace, wearing different clothes, the princess coming into the room to look for Aladdin? He did _not_ want to be stuck in Aladdin's body again. He had tried it once before and that plan hadn't even achieved what it was supposed to. The only reason he had wanted to do it then was because the gauntlet feeds on a person's life and he'd thought switching to a stronger body would last him longer. It took him several hours of floating in a stupid cage for him to realize, while he was in Aladdin's body, the gauntlet had _still_ been feeding on his life energy and didn't hurt Aladdin at all. So it must not be the strength of a physical body that the gauntlet feeds on. And besides not wanting to see his archenemy's face in the mirror every morning, he could never get used to looking down and seeing Aladdin's calloused hands instead of his own, or-

But he _hadn't_ seen Aladdin's hands earlier. They were slightly calloused, and the skin was a little darker, but he'd still registered them as _his_. And his hair was still curly. He half-consciously ran a hand through his hair as he stepped away from the curtain to glance around the room. There was a silver bowl filled with fruit somewhere in the room. There. He pushed past the princess, who was saying something he wasn't listening to, and looked at the reflection in the side of the bowl. He had that feeling of recognition, which was even more convincing than seeing his own features. He closed his eyes as he exhaled a relieved breath.

"...won't talk to me."

Mozenrath usually liked that desperate tone. He looked up, and noticed she was talking to the genie - which must've entered the room when he hadn't been paying attention. Either that, or it had entered the room _with_ the princess and Mozenrath just hadn't noticed. It was hard to hear a genie's footsteps. His mouth, on the other hand, wasn't always so quiet.

Neither of them seemed particularly worried that he was in the room, and he found himself silently assessing them. The princess looked distressed, her hands clasped in front of her and a worried frown on her face. However, she was still attractive - if he were interested in pampered princesses. The genie, though in his usual, confident pose, looked puzzled. Mozenrath never had the opportunity to look at him like this before. There wasn't time to properly observe the being while in the middle of battle. His blue coloration seemed translucent, but also gave off a faint light. It was probably quite normal for a being composed entirely of power, though it was still interesting to observe. The genie's head turned, and he must have noticed Mozenrath looking.

"C'mon, Al, tell us what's eating you," he said, a pleading note in his voice. For a moment, the genie's hands were transformed into uncontrollable carnivorous plants.

"I'm not Aladdin!" Mozenrath insisted.

The genie turned toward the princess with a shrug. "Maybe he hit his head."

The princess responded by bringing a hand to her mouth and widening her eyes. It would've been amusing if she were worried for anyone but him. Instead, it was just annoying.

"Aren't you even capable of grasping the concept of four simple words?!" he asked. "I. Am. Not. Aladdin!" At least now he had their attention. Just that was able to calm him down enough to give a proper rant. "Do I _look_ like I have poofy hair?" He tugged on his hair. "Do I _look_ like I'm wearing a smelly vest?" He gripped a handful of dark blue fabric. His audience wore blank expressions - not that he expected a response. "_No_!" He started pacing in front of them. "_I_ have nice hair. _I_ wear blue silks. _I _have a fair complexion. _I_ have good posture. _I_ stand at a respectable height. _I_ have achieved a position of power. _I_ will be the most powerful ruler the seven deserts has ever seen!"

He paused just long enough to calm down. He glanced toward the other two in the room. "Now, class, _who_ does that describe?"

Mozenrath couldn't tell anything by their expressions, and they weren't saying a word. Then the genie caused some kind of glowing sign to appear. It seemed to be made out of a long tube twisted into the shape of Mozenrath's head, and below, the name 'Aladdin,' flashing on and off with a faint buzzing sound.

He let out a frustrated yell.

The princess gave the genie a weary look that said to stop it, and reached out to put a hand on Mozenrath's shoulder. "Maybe you should get some rest."

Mozenrath avoided the hand before it could make contact. "I don't need _rest_, Princess. What I _need_ is to get away from _you _fools." With that, he left the room and took long strides down the hallway.

It was all so _frustrating_. No matter what he said, they still believed he was Aladdin!

He paused as something occurred to him. Could it be some kind of spell? Or an object? It couldn't be the Stone of Transformation. The legendary Rose of Forgetfulness? No, not that. He needed to look up some information - and he couldn't help but smirk as he realized he knew just the place to do it. He continued his way down the hallway, now with a destination in mind.

* * *

It was a section of the palace he had found while seeking out a base of operations for one of his takeover attempts - yes, he'd gotten into the palace before it truly started. It had been a good attempt.

He didn't pay it much attention at the time, but there was a lab in the section's top room. Not as good as his own of course, but in this case, useful. He had meant to catalogue everything in it after securing the palace, but had never gotten the chance.

Just as Mozenrath came to the hidden entrance, he heard an annoying squawk of, "Hey, what are you doing entering _Jafar's_ old chambers?"

Mozenrath turned his head to confirm it was Aladdin's parrot. "Get lost, bird." He batted at him, but the parrot flew out of reach.

"No way. Whatever you're planning, I want fifty percent."

Unable to do anything about the bird, Mozenrath stepped through the entrance and onto a spiral staircase made of stone. This part of the palace had a different feeling than the rest. It lacked the smooth walls or marbled tile floors, and the windows seemed to let in less light. It reminded him a bit of his citadel - or at least the less dressed up parts of it. Something about bare stone walls seemed to hint at hidden power and secrets. It was probably just superstition, based on some laboratory owners seeing no point in decorating. Though, Mozenrath sometimes imagined he could feel traces of old magic clinging to stone walls. As he ascended the stairs, the bird followed him. Mozenrath decided to just ignore him. It couldn't be that difficult, right?

When getting to the lab, he immediately made his way to the wide bookcase to the right of the door and started scanning its contents. He reached for a thick blue volume, then sat down at the table to look through it.

"Is it big? Tell me it's big. Lots of gold, right? I want to make sure my fifty percent's worth it. I wonder what I should buy with my share. Or maybe I'll just keep it all to swim in. On second thought, I might use a little for a good moisturizing conditioner. This heat really dries out my feathers. See, look at this - split ends."

"Don't you _ever_ shut up?!" Mozenrath said as he looked up to glare.

The bird ruffled his feathers. "Well _sorry_ for trying to be _sociable_."

Just as Mozenrath turned back to the book, he heard the bird's talons clicking against the table, and then saw his large beak lean over the pages he was flipping through.

"What're you looking for, anyway?"

"It's none of your business!" Mozenrath yelled. He jerked the book from the table as he stood. "It's not in here anyhow," he said as he replaced the book and pulled another from the shelf.

"You know that I know most of what's in those books, right?" the bird asked, gesturing at the new book with one foot.

"I don't care," Mozenrath said as he sat down again.

He suddenly felt something hitting his head, and looked up to realize it was the parrot. He could only stare, startled that anyone would dare touch him. Though he couldn't help thinking he really should've been used to Aladdin and his friends invading his personal space by now.

"Use that head of yours!"

Another knock on his head. Mozenrath swatted the bird away, only for him to perch on the back of a nearby chair.

"If you tell me what you're looking for, I can _give you_ the _information_."

Mozenrath narrowed his eyes as he studied the bird. He might've been overly trusting, but he wasn't stupid. The bird had proved to be tricky in the past. Though, right now everyone thought he was Aladdin, and this was one of Aladdin's sidekicks. Mozenrath wondered whether or not it would hurt if he used the bird to make his job easier. He tried to weigh the risks involved.

The bird wasn't paying attention to Mozenrath's stare. After an initial roll of his eyes, he flew over to glance at a few objects that were already lying on the table when they entered the room. He then started browsing the shelves, though didn't appear to see anything he was interested in.

"Something that could make people believe you're someone else."

The bird didn't seem surprised by the sudden response. He turned around to answer, leaning against the books behind him. He seemed almost _too_ relaxed as Mozenrath's eyes searched him for signs of falsehood. "If Jafar had something like that, he would've taken the Sultan's place years ago," he said with a dismissive wave of his wing. He held up one finger. "He _did_ have the snake staff, but there was only so much it could do."

So the bird didn't know of anything. Mozenrath sighed as he glanced back down at the book in front of him. If the bird knew what he was talking about, there probably wasn't anything in these books, either.

"No, the only thing I can think of is one of the ancient spells of the Witches of the Sand. That's some powerful magic. The _whole town _was under the spell. Changes everyone's memories. Doesn't affect us animals, though. It was called the, um, The Shifting Sands of Time."

Shifting sands...

Mozenrath frowned. For some reason, an image of red sand came to mind. Red sand sifting through his fingers. But it wasn't _sand_, it was... His eyes widened. The Shoes!

The chair fell over as he bolted upright, but he didn't care. Ignoring the spots in his vision that suggested he stood too quickly, he ran out of the room and down the stairs. The Shoes were the last thing he had come into contact with - they must be the cause.

"Hey! You're not going after the treasure without me, are you?! We're partn-!"

The door slid shut. Without stopping, Mozenrath took off down the hall.

* * *

"I'm here about those worthless rocks, the Shoes of Milouwen!" Mozenrath yelled from the top of the steps. He didn't bother to walk farther into the shop or look for the shopkeeper. He was furious. He bought those things from _her_ - she should be the one to come to him; she should take the blame; she should _fix this_.

Deep inside the shop, a hung curtain shifted as the woman emerged from a back room. "I no longer have the Shoes - I sold them to a customer just yesterday." She then made a broad gesture with her arm. "However, I have a wide selection of other-"

"I already know that!" Mozenrath interrupted as he stormed down the steps. He brought his hand to his chest. "_I'm_ the one you sold that rubbish to!"

The shopkeeper opened her mouth, looking as though she was about to shake her head and deny it, but then paused and shut her mouth. After a moment of studying his face, she narrowed her eyes. "You broke the Shoes, didn't you?" she accused, pointing a finger in his direction.

The anger left him. "Wha?" he asked in surprise. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He was supposed to be blaming her, but now she was blaming him instead.

"When the Shoes are destroyed, their full power is released at once." She poked a finger in his chest. "And I offer no refunds!"

"You never _told me _that," he said with a slight whine. It wasn't his fault he hadn't known not to break the Shoes.

"Did you pay full price?" she asked. "I think not! Now leave my shop!" She turned to walk back into the other room.

Mozenrath was a bit dazed. _That_ hadn't gone as planned. Not that he had bothered to make a plan. Somehow, just seconds after he'd entered the shop, that woman had turned the tables on him and marked a clear end to the conversation, leaving him to stare after her as he was now. He wanted to argue farther, to say something more, but couldn't seem to come up with one good question to ask or any argument he could make. She seemed to suggest the Shoes had some kind of power he hadn't heard of, and that it was his fault this happened - whatever _this_ was. As he saw her pull the curtain out of her way, about to disappear from sight, he widened his eyes, recalling the point of his visit. "Wait!" He held up a hand despite her being out of his reach. "You have to tell me how to reverse it!" he said in a rush.

She paused in the doorway, still holding the curtain open as she looked over her shoulder. "I don't have to tell you anything."

Mozenrath saw her raise an eyebrow. Following her line of vision, he realized he still had his arm extended in a desperate 'reaching' gesture. He dropped his arm quickly.

She turned fully around to face him. A grin stretched across her face and displayed her missing tooth. "But I _can_... for a price."

"How much?" he asked, searching her face as though it would tell him just how desperate she thought he was.

"For thirty silver pieces, I tell you about the Shoes."

His mouth dropped open. She thought he was very desperate indeed. She couldn't _possibly_ expect him to pay that much for something she should have told him from the beginning. "I've paid less than that for-"

"Plus the amount you shorted me earlier. - Take it or leave it."

Mozenrath had no real choice in the matter. He hated that. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to find the answer elsewhere. None of the writings he had found about the Shoes mentioned this type of reaction. The shopkeeper knew she was his only known source of information, and she was taking advantage of it. If he were in a better mood, he would've said something clever, perhaps a creative threat on her life worded within a 'choice' given to her, but instead, he kept his mouth shut and started to reach for a coin pouch.

As focused on the situation as he was, he'd forgotten he wasn't wearing his usual clothing and startled himself when he didn't find money where he had expected. He took his eyes off the woman long enough to find a coin pouch, and he started to take some coins out of it.

"The pouch will be enough."

Mozenrath stared blankly as he let the coins fall back into the pouch and let the pouch drop into her awaiting palm. He didn't know why he had that much money on him, but he knew it was more than she had asked for, and that she would omit relevant details if he mentioned it.

She put it in the large purse she wore on her right side, patting it twice before turning her attention back to him. "The Shoes of Milouwen hold the ability to take what another has."

"Yes, the power of a magical being or sorcerer," Mozenrath quietly specified. He didn't want to upset her, now that she was willing to talk to him, but he was eager to hear what she knew. "Get on with it," he prompted.

"Ah, but that is not _all_." Her eyes brightened and her voice gained more emotion. She proceeded to tell her tale, drawing out some words, while pausing after others. "The Shoes were made to do no more. However... when they are _broken_, they are at their most _powerful_. When the magic is fully released, it can take whatever is desired from a person." She made a wide, overarching gesture with one hand. "Even their very life." One gesture glided into another as her hand came to a rest, pointed in his direction. She said no more, as though waiting for a reaction.

It dawned on Mozenrath what she was suggesting: that he had used the Shoes for that very purpose. Sure, he _had_ wanted to take Aladdin's life, he'd wanted that for a long time - but not like _this_! He wanted to see Aladdin dying at his feet, his eyes filled with defeat and despair as he took his last breath. And afterward, he definitely did not want to take over where the street rat had left off.

"I did _not_-" Mozenrath started, but then paused. What exactly _had_ he done after the Shoes broke? He recalled digging through the jewel shards to try finding anything left intact. Then Aladdin had said something about ruining his plans being so easy, and had been entirely too happy about it. He had been thinking about how everything always went right for Aladdin. For a second, he had wished his own life were like that. Mozenrath swallowed. Did he really do this? Had he really been thinking he wanted his life to be like Aladdin's?

No, he had wanted Aladdin's _luck_ - Aladdin's _luck_! That was what he had been thinking of. Aladdin's method of success.

However, Mozenrath supposed 'luck' itself wasn't something possessable. Perhaps this was the only way the Shoes could achieve the desire.

But he hadn't activated the Shoes. Aladdin hadn't even been close enough to use them on if he had.

Though again, according to the shopkeeper, their power would have already been released. He wouldn't have needed to activate them. Was the physical limitation also gone when the Shoes were at full power? It was possible.

He frowned. "Fine. How do I reverse it?" He knew he couldn't use the Shoes, as they were destroyed and their power used up. He wouldn't allow himself to think there was no possible way to fix this.

"You must make things as they should be."

Make things as they should be? Everyone should think of him as himself instead of Aladdin. But convincing the street rat's friends wasn't possible; he was sure of it. "Tell me another way."

"There is no other way." Her face showed nothing.

"Of course there is! I paid you, now tell me what it is."

She still wore that stubborn expression. "The effect can only be undone by correcting what has changed."

"No! There _must_ be another way!" Mozenrath seized the front of her cloak with his left hand and pinned her against the wall, paying no mind to her slightly startled expression. He clutched the fabric of her clothing tighter as he yanked her up to eye level, his face mere inches from hers. "Tell me another way!" he yelled in her face. "I already tried that and it didn't work!"

Darkness slowly rolled over shopkeeper's features and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Then you will remain like this _forever_!" Spit flew from her mouth from the force of her last word.

The room suddenly seemed too quiet. Mozenrath's right hand was fisted, frozen in the air in a ready position for attack. His left hand was white from clenching the woman's clothing harder than needed. Spit slowly ran down the side of his face, having landed there from the shopkeeper's retort. He made no move to wipe it off. His mouth was locked in an angry expression that displayed teeth. His eyes, on the other hand, flickered around the shopkeeper's face as they transitioned between expressing fear or anger.

His fingers shifted to a better hold on the shopkeeper before tightening his grip. He tensed his upper body, preparing to strike her. Then his fingers completely loosened, and she dropped back to the floor.

He took a step back, his expression still undecided.

Then another step.

Then another.

Fear clearly flashed across his face for an instant and he turned and ran.

* * *

/Author's Note/

Since I didn't mention it in the prologue, Milouwen is pronounced like: my-low/lou-when.

This chapter's a little over five pages long. That means it's longer than most chapters I write. Hopefully other chapters of this fic will be as long, though I also hope other chapters take less time to write. By the way, DarkRyan75 (www fanfiction net/u/844683/DarkRyan75) helped a lot with the chapter (pretty much wrote half of it).

So... did you like the chapter? What was your favorite part? Was anything confusing? Boring? Interesting? Did you see anything coming or were you surprised by things? What do you think will happen?

I'm thinking about changing the title to "Shift in Perspective"... Think I should? I also went ahead and uploaded a cover image for the fic (you like it?). My birthday's a few days away, on January 27th. It seems like I usually like uploading chapters on that date, though I thought I'd go ahead and upload this one a few days before.

Oh, by the way, the shopkeeper is in the four episodes "Scare Necessities", "Lost and Founded", "Moonlight Madness", and "The Day the Bird Stood Still". Mozenrath is in nine episodes, though you probably know that. I referenced a few Aladdin episodes in the chapter: Mozenrath's mentioned failed 'take over Aladdin's body' plan is from "Two to Tangle", the Stone of Transformation is from "Vocal Hero", the Rose of Forgetfulness from "Forget Me Lots" (though not a Mozenrath episode, the rose should be well-known), the take over attempt where Mozenrath found Jafar's lab was in "Black Sand", and the Shifting Sands of Time was from "SandSwitch".


	3. Chapter 2: Against the Flow

Thanks for the review guest Kyle (I can't respond directly to guest reviews). Mozenrath should really watch what he wishes for, hm? It's probably a good thing that he couldn't seem to convince them of who he was last chapter, as you've shown.

* * *

Chapter Two: Against the Flow

Mozenrath fought to squeeze through the swarm of people around him. He had to get away from the shop; from the word 'forever' that echoed in his mind.

Human flesh seemed to pack the marketplace, cutting off any escape. Conversations had merged into an almost inhuman droning, and did little to distract from the shopkeeper's words. He shoved, even knocked a few people over, anything to get by. But every time he made it past one person, he would only crash into another. He pushed between several people, only to trip over a wheeled cart creeping across the street and spill its contents. He only half heard the shouts directed at him. On the other side of the cart were yet more people. He pushed past person after person, still moving even though it seemed he wasn't making any progress.

However, a part of him began to realize that wasn't the case. There was more and more time between bumping into people, and he was able to build up more speed between obstacles. The crowd was gradually thinning out. He was soon running freely: past the shops, past the people, past the wide streets. He skidded around corners, making split second decisions on which turns to take. The scenery changed to a blur of grubby alleys and crumbling buildings, and he kept running, as fast as he could.

He wanted to go home. To be in his dark citadel, away from everything and everyone. To be somewhere he knew.

But there was just street after street, like an endless golden-brown maze without an exit.

* * *

He was reduced to a slow walk when he returned to the palace. He kept his eyes on the ground in front of him and didn't even glance at the guards who wordlessly opened the gate for him without request. The palace hallways were empty and he saw no one as he pulled the cord that opened the secret entrance to the winding staircase. The dim tower had been the only place he could think of going. He sat down in a deeply shadowed area on the steps. The stinging cold of the stone went through his clothing, but he didn't care. He leaned back against the cold wall and deeply inhaled the musty air.

He had nothing. He'd lost his magic, his citadel, his mamluks, his land, and even his own identity. He didn't even know if the citadel still existed. This was just as bad as the Khartoum incident.

No, this was worse.

After his run-in with Khartoum, he'd lost his magic, and his citadel was in ruins. He had broken down in front of Aladdin. He hadn't known Khartoum had only placed a temporary block on his magic. At the time, he thought the sorcerer had taken everything from him; now he knew there was more to lose than just those two things.

And there was his research. He'd lost that, too.

And Xerxes.

He stared at the central pillar, which supported the staircase. He needed to quit thinking about what he'd lost. The whole point of coming here was to get away from that. Away from people who would tell him things he didn't want to hear.

And his magic collection.

He tried to take some comfort in the similarity of the staircase to the old stone rooms of his citadel. Though he infrequently visited those rooms, they had a calming quality. However, he couldn't ignore the dull orange color of these unfamiliar stones.

They were so similar, yet so different. Orange instead of gray. Why was everything different? He moved his left hand into a nearby patch of light. The arm that had never been mangled by the gauntlet. It was different, too. It was the same, but it was different. A bit darker than it should be. His palm rougher than it should be. He couldn't compare his right arm. It was too long since he had seen it. When he had seen his reflection earlier, his face had also been a shade darker than it should be, and he hadn't seen the dark tint of his eyelids he had come to be used to seeing. Did the Shoes of Milouwen restore some of the life energy that the gauntlet had taken from him? Was that what it meant? They had given him back his right arm.

But it was still something he didn't want. So the Shoes gave him something back, but that was still taking away what he had grown familiar with. All they did was take.

They had probably only given _that_ back so he could better fit the role of Aladdin.

He stood abruptly, dusted off his pants - which weren't actually his, despite being dark blue - and walked up to the lab. He opened the door, but remained in the doorway for a moment.

If he was completely honest with himself and ignored his pride, this lab probably was at least as good as his own, if not better.

Not that it mattered anymore. - He no longer had his lab.

It was a large room, with the wide bookcase by the door, and a set of stairs circling around the platform at the center of the room. There was a partial second level with a window, plus a wooden ladder leading to it. He had wanted to see what this lab had to offer, right? Looking through the books and collectables would give him something to do, and get his mind off things.

Not two minutes later, he found that he couldn't get interested in the task. What good was it to look at this stuff if he couldn't add it to his collection? It was pointless. Still, he walked up the steps to the platform. Judging from the dirty flasks and the hourglass sitting out, the lab had been abandoned shortly after an experiment. He walked over the arch that connected the platform with the second level of the room. There were storage pots lying around, but he wasn't in the mood to see what was in them. He pouted as he turned away from them. He just wanted everything to be back to normal. He didn't want anything to do with this warped life.

He began to walk past the window, located next to the ladder that would complete his circuit, but paused to look out. The window was on the front of the palace, looking out toward the city. It was so different from the Land of the Black Sand. The city was larger, and the whole thing was bathed in that golden color of the sand. Most of the buildings were square shaped with flat roofs, though there were also some domes and towers scattered throughout. He noticed one domed building that was a bit larger and had some decoration. He could tell that one was a mosque. He absently traced the golden spirals on its dome with his eyes.

Maybe _God_ could save him from this life. He blinked at the random thought. Oh, right. God would want nothing to do with him, seeing as he was the _villain_ who wanted to take over the seven deserts.

Well, not anymore. He stared hollowly at his bare right hand and turned away from the window. The glove that had, for so long, defined him was no longer there.

Now he was A-la-ddin. He sneered at the sarcastic thought.

It was obvious that coming here hadn't gotten his mind off anything. Everything he saw just made him think of how it was different from what he was used to, and reminded him of what he no longer had. Orange adobe buildings and orange stone walls reminded him of the Land of the Black Sand's gray, spell books and magical objects reminded him of his own collection. He was tired of it. But the only way he could get away from this, would be if he could just wake up from this ridiculous nightmare and go home. And that hadn't happened yet.

He descended the ladder, and quickly made his way across the floor and out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He left the hidden rooms and walked through the hall with barely restrained steps. - He wasn't going to make himself look like a fool by stomping through the halls. He was disgusted that the _one_ place he had thought he could take refuge, had instead been anything but. The farther he got from that treacherous tower, the better.

The end of one hallway became the beginning of another, and yet another. He slowed as he realized he didn't have any destination in mind. He was running again, wasn't he? But he didn't know what else to do. At least when moving, there was nothing to focus on. The scenery was always changing. It didn't matter how different anything was from his citadel or anything else, because he was only passing by. The thoughts he had had at that shoddy shop, or within the tower, they couldn't catch up with him if he kept moving. He wouldn't let himself keep thinking along that path, couldn't let himself completely give up and accept everything.

He was startled by a sound coming from the left. The halls had been empty, inviting him to walk them without being bothered, but now he could hear a voice. He slowed as he approached that particular room, and saw Aladdin's friends within it. Thankfully none of them were looking his direction. He should have known he would eventually see them if he walked around the palace. Perhaps he could make it past the doorway before they noticed him and wanted to take him vest shopping.

"Aladdin!"

Apparently not. He started walking faster.

He felt a hand circle around his arm from behind, and he tensed as he stopped walking.

"Aladdin, what's wrong?" It was the princess.

Mozenrath slowly turned to face her, absently noticing her concerned frown. " 'What's wrong'?" he repeated. He laughed, suddenly finding it a bit funny. She was inviting him to tell her what was wrong? After he had been trying to tell them without success, now they simply _ask_ him? No. He had already told them! He had told them several times! "What is wrong, princess, is you calling me by that name!"

She seemed to completely ignore him. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, still hanging onto his arm to keep him from leaving. "We might be able to help if you tell us why you're upset."

Definitely something keeping them from hearing him. He wrenched his arm out of her grasp. "I don't want to be around you! Be a good little princess and go play with your hair or something."

That seemed to get through to her, since she put her hands on her hips, puckered her mouth, and gave him a good glare. But alas, it lasted only a second. Her expression turned to one of surprise and she gave a little gasp. "Oh no!" She paled as she looked at him with wide eyes. "This is about the money, isn't it?"

Mozenrath drew a blank. "What money?" Oh, wait, no. Don't ask them _questions_! That would just cause them to talk _more_!

"It _wasn't_ a handout - you've been stopping so many attacks against Agrabah lately, Father just wanted to _reward_ you for a job well done. Truly, it was only-"

He quit listening. He had no idea what she was going on about and he didn't really care. "This has nothing to do with that!" Forget whatever kept them from acknowledging he wasn't Aladdin - he'd _make them_ realize it! "This has to do with everyone thinking I'm the filthy _street rat_!" he shouted. He could now see the genie and pets peeking through the doorway at them. "I don't want you hanging out with me. I don't need all of you being nice to me. Thinking I'm needy little Aladdin. I'm _not_! I'm not Aladdin!" He made a slashing gesture for emphasis.

The princess tucked her arms in close to her body, taking a hesitant step back and looking at him with a hurt expression. "Aladdin, I..."

"Stop it! I don't even want to _be_ here. I want everything to go back to the way it was and I want to go _home_!"

Mozenrath waited. One more 'Aladdin' and he was walking out of the palace, with or without the princess and the rest of the sidekicks hanging from his limbs.

"Okay, the kid's gone crazy," the bird announced, though was ignored by everyone.

The genie hovered farther into the hall. There was something about the motion that drew Mozenrath's attention. He was currently in his true genie form, with the transparent tail. His head was down and he seemed to move unnaturally slow. "Is that what you really want?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. It still seemed loud in the otherwise silent hallway. There was no hint of a smile as his gaze drifted up to Mozenrath. For once, he was neither comical, nor loud and showy. He seemed to radiate some kind of hurt or sad feeling, maybe disappointment, maybe reluctance. "I don't approve of your actions... but, I can take you home." He extended a large blue hand. The three fingers and thumb were outstretched, with the palm facing up.

The genie didn't move from that position. - He was waiting patiently for an answer.

Mozenrath's eyes slowly widened. Did he actually get through to them? He hadn't expected anything to happen - not really. Maybe he _did_ just need to convince them. Or maybe the genie was never affected in the first place. But even then, he had made the genie comply. He could wake up. Have everything back to normal.

He started to take a step forward.

And then he was gone.

* * *

Mozenrath found himself standing in a dim room. A few large, blue curtains hung from the ceiling, while smaller ones most likely covered windows. However, nothing could hide the flaking plaster on the walls. There were pots in the corner to the left, most of them either cracked or broken, as well as a few other items that didn't look usable. In front of him, three room-length steps led up to one of the largest curtains, which hung from wall to wall. A blue rug, lined with red and gold, had been laid over the right side of the steps, along with several cushions.

At first, he didn't know why the place seemed familiar, but then recognized it as the same dilapidated hovel he had tracked Aladdin to after their first meeting. He spun around, yelling, "This is _not_-!"

But all he saw behind him was fading blue smoke.

He yelled into the empty hovel until he ran out of breath and had to stop to breathe. He swung to his left, toward the right wall. He used both hands to rake objects from one of the wooden shelves anchored to the wall. The earthen containers smashed onto the stone floor. He did the same to the shelf below it. "No; no; _no!_" He was supposed to be in his citadel, not Aladdin's condemned hovel! That worthless genie tricked him! He turned his attention to the nearby pillows, kicking them across the room. Some landed in the middle of the floor, while others traveled far enough to bounce off a wall before settling, feathers leaking from the seams. Having run out of objects where he was, he made his way to the left side of the room, savoring the crunching sound of pottery and glass under his boots. He took the long way around, down a fourth step that was set apart from the other three, to kick some of the pillows a second time. Once at the desired pile of junk, he tossed broken pots and rolls of fabric across the floor. He grabbed the edge of the small blue curtain that hung above that corner, tearing the fabric to expose a boarded up window. He tore down another curtain that covered a similar window. He jerked on one of the large curtains hanging from the ceiling, tugging harder when it didn't budge. The whole thing came down at once, a wooden beam with it, along with some of the ceiling. He frowned as he pushed a hand through his hair to remove some of the grit that had rained down on him, but didn't let it stop him. He pulled down another large curtain, and then marched back up the steps, through the mess he'd made, to grab the one that covered the front wall. He started to pull, but it slid open. He didn't notice as his hand faltered and fell away from the fabric.

Through the gaping hole, off-white towers and golden domes gleamed in the sun, standing out from everything else. The sun had started to set and the towers were tinged with red, while the domes reflected the color brilliantly. Agrabah's palace... One of seven he had dreamed of taking over as Mozenrath, the lord of the Black Sand. He was going to take over all seven deserts and their respective palaces, and everyone would know Mozenrath was the one to achieve it, that Mozenrath was the most powerful sorcerer of this age. Everyone would know...

His legs started to give out and he let himself slide down against the remains of the old wall, resting on the ledge as he stared off toward the palace.

If people thought he was Aladdin, they wouldn't attribute any accomplishments to Mozenrath.

It was no longer possible. None of his dreams were possible.

* * *

/Author's Note/

Thanks to DarkRyan75 and Cantare (www fanfiction net/u/1032935/Cantare), who helped me with this chapter. I also changed a few small things in the prologue and chapter one, but probably nothing very noticeable. Cantare has some neat Aladdin fics, if interested. And I also recently found the fic "Aladdin & the Heirs of Magic" by Eversotd, which I think is interesting. I like how Eversotd writes Mozenrath.

Sorry if most of this chapter is kind of boring. I guess I just felt like writing depressing stuff. I originally thought the chapter would start with Mozenrath sitting at the palace's fountain, thinking about what had just happened last chapter, and then have a bit of an argument with Jasmine (and then I wasn't really sure about what would happen after that). But then I instead thought he might go back to Jafar's tower, since he seemed to like it last chapter, and I got the idea for how the chapter would play out from there.

The 'And this' 'And that' sentences near the beginning were inspired by how I thought when I'd lost a lot of stuff in a house fire a little over five years ago (for the first week or two, the things I'd lost would come to mind one by one - of course, it was much more specific than the general 'his collection' and such that I used here. It would be more similar to if I'd mentioned a few little items in his collection and if I gave him a little jolt at each).  
Sorry if I offend any Muslims with religious mentionings. I'm Christian and not Muslim. It's a perfectly fine religion, it's just not mine. Please don't hold it against me for twisting a few things around, either accidentally or on purpose.  
Jafar's lab and Aladdin's home are from the movie and some episodes from the series. As it turns out, the series uses the same backgrounds as the movie, but they somehow seem smaller and less majestic in the series. But everything in the backgrounds are the same, besides a few episode-specific props thrown in as needed. And, Aladdin does have a bunch of blue curtains and a blue, red, and gold colored rug. It seems that blue, red, and gold is a common theme in Aladdin.  
I referenced the episode, "The Book of Khartoum" - at the end of that episode, Mozenrath's huddled up on the floor with his head in his arms, saying, "I've lost everything." But Aladdin just throws him a glare. I also referenced "The Citadel", where Mozenrath and Aladdin first meet. They talked briefly at the marketplace, but got off on the wrong foot because Mozenrath let him know that he didn't care about hurting people (thus Aladdin refused to help him at all). Mozenrath then came to Aladdin's place at the crack of dawn the next morning. He told Aladdin, "Nice hovel," to which Aladdin agreed it was with a nod and an admiring glance at his home. ...I think Mozenrath meant it as a sarcastic remark, but which went over Aladdin's head. I also semi-referenced near the beginning of the first movie, where Aladdin comes home and sits on the ledge, looking out toward the palace with thoughts of one day living in such a palace. For Aladdin, the sight of the palace gives hope for the future. At the end of this chapter, however, it has the opposite affect for Mozenrath, who realizes that his dream has come to an end (he can't take over the palace with his real name, so why even bother, since he won't get the recognition?).

Oh, also, I uploaded a non-cropped (and larger) version of the cover image on deviantArt, if you would like to see it. You can either try putting this link together here, or go to my profile. http fav. me / d5vxwra  
The background for the image is the lab in the citadel that can be found in at least two episodes (but I toned down the colors). Though, that room doesn't quite match the room I described in the prologue. I wrote the prologue and first scene of chapter one before I realized that Aladdin reuses the same rooms over and over.


End file.
